Zidane inherits a squad that has evolved even in the short time he has been away, with Cristiano Ronaldo gone and the likes of Thibaut Courtois, Vinicius Junior and Sergio Reguilon all enjoying greater prominence this season.

The challenge will be for Zidane to oversee a period of change in the summer, when older players could be replaced and younger talents brought through.

“We lost in the league and cup, we won the Champions League, fine, but I know where I am.

“We will change things, for sure, for the years to come. But now is not about that – the important thing is I am back. We will have time to talk with the president, with the club, about what we can do.”

Immensely popular with most of the players, Zidane’s appointment will almost certainly lift morale in the dressing room, following a week in which Sergio Ramos has argued with the club’s president Florentino Perez and been involved in a spat with Marcelo.

Bale’s future now appears in serious doubt unless their relationship can be quickly repaired.

Instead it was Ronaldo that departed and Zidane now takes over a team missing the Portuguese’s goals and in need of reform.

On the possibility of Ronaldo following him back to Madrid, Zidane said: “That is not the issue for today. We have 11 games to play, then we will see. We all know Cristiano, his history at this club is one of the best. But today is not for talking about these things.”

Despite Madrid’s dominance in the Champions League, there is ground to make up in La Liga, where Barcelona are on course to seal their eighth league title in 11 years.

Familiar problems, including a lack of goals and a leaky defence, resurfaced in February as a defeat at home to Girona was quickly followed by losses to Barcelona in the league and cup, and humiliation by Ajax in the last 16 of the Champions League.

“I do not blame anybody,” Zidane added. “(Julen) Lopetegui and Solari wanted to do the best for the club. It went how it went. The only thing now is to look forward.”